MACCABI GB QUARTERLY REPORT Q1 (Jan-Mar) 2014

January – March2014

INTRODUCTION

In 2013, Maccabi GB’s year was undoubtedly dominated by the 19th Maccabiah Games. With a Delegation of 440 British representatives travelling to Israel in July, we were proud to stand alongside 9,000 other athletes all competing in the name of Jewish sport. However, as soon as the Maccabiah Games ended, we enthusiastically turned our attention to the future. Our popular ‘Sport for Everyone’ events, our regular sports clubs, our incredibly successful School Sports and Streetwise programmes and more – Maccabi GB continued our commitment to providing opportunities for Jewish continuity through sport within the Community engaging 36,000 in 2013.

In this report we examine the first three months of 2014 for Maccabi GB and look ahead to what will be another fantastic year of sport for Britain’s Jewish Community.

The start of 2014 has begun the same way that 2013 ended. Our Community Sports Days engaged over 100 people, with creative events including Community Badminton and Community Bowling offering a wide variety of sport for participants of all ages and abilities. Over 1,500 young people have taken part in a School Sports Tournament since January (including Football, Basketball, Netball and Trampolining), which add to the 1,500 who have been coached in our PE Curriculum Lessons and School Clubs in the same period. Our regular Maccabi GB Sports Clubs are thriving, with Walking Club and Israeli Dance added to our 20 other clubs. Our Futsal Club sees over 20 young males playing each week, which has led to Maccabi GB Futsal winning the FA National Futsal League Division 2 Championships.

The numbers engaged are just as impressive with Streetwise and Leadership by Streetwise. The former continues to run specialised sessions on Personal Safety, Personal Development and SRE, reaching 4,500 young people across the UK since January. Leadership by Streetwise has also gone from strength-to-strength, starting off the 2013/2014 Programme with almost 200 young people in attendance across seminars, weekends and hands-on events.

As soon as the host city was announced, Maccabi GB began preparations for the next major international sports competition – the European Maccabi Games 2015 in Berlin. The Organising Committee and all of the Sports Managers have been announced and player recruitment and trials are well-underway for the first ever international, Jewish sporting event in Germany. Team Maccabi GB also will be in action later this year – at the JCC Maccabi Games in Cherry Hill and when London hosts the European Maccabi Football Trophy.

‘SPORT FOR EVERYONE’ All ages, all abilities

January – March 2014 The year began with two events which proved to be as diverse as they were popular. The Maccabi GB Community Badminton Day ran at Hendon Leisure Centre and was sold out with over 40 participants. As well as the Singles and Doubles Tournaments we ran taster games for those who just wanted to play for fun. This was followed in February by the Maccabi GB Community Bowling Day. We welcomed over 80 bowlers to Watford’s Hollywood Bowl which had families and friends taking part in the action, including a number of Team Maccabi GB athletes from this summer’s JCC Maccabi Games. Both events were a huge success and our ethos of ‘Sport for Everyone’ was highlighted as we had bowlers ranging from 5 to 65 years old taking part and Badminton players picking up a racquet for the first time in many years.

Looking ahead To show our commitment to providing sport and exercise to all corners of the Community, Maccabi GB has a variety of other Community Sports Days throughout the rest of the year. One of our most enjoyable and unique events – the Community Dog Walk – returns in May and will see hundreds of dogs and their owners walking together to raise funds for Maccabi GB’s Challenge Tour. Also in May is the second annual Macc 5’s – the largest Jewish 5-a-side Football Tournament in the UK, with over 100 teams bringing over 1,000 players. June will see one of our most popular ‘Ladies-Only Events’ bring together over one hundred women from the Community to play in the Community Netball Day, whilst the latter half of 2014 brings with it our annual Community Table Tennis Day and, for the first time ever, Community Ice Skating as well as Community Cycling at the Olympic Velodrome Centre.

MAJOR EVENTS Maccabi GB at home and abroad

January – March 2014 The experience of Team Maccabi GB at the 19th Maccabiah Games highlighted the immeasurable importance and impact of taking a British Delegation to compete at an International Jewish Sports Tournament alongside other athletes from around the world. Recruitment began for the European Maccabi Games 2015 at the end of 2013 and continued into the start of this year. Sports Chairs and Management Teams have now been announced for 20 Teams across 10 sports and recruitment and trials are well-underway. There was the first Manager’s Meeting of the campaign at the end of March and plans are also starting to take shape for Team Maccabi GB’s Jewish Identity Programme (Pre-Camp), a first for Maccabi GB at a European Maccabi Games. As well as acclimatising to conditions, the Delegation will make the most of the educational opportunities from the Games taking place in Berlin. Team Maccabi GB’s JCC Maccabi Games Squad has gone a step further, by officially naming the 87-stong Delegation of athletes and Managers who will be part of the Delegation travelling to Cherry Hill, New Jersey this summer.

Looking ahead June will be a busy month for Maccabi GB as we have a number of major events planned. Staying with the theme of International Games, London hosts the European Maccabi Football Trophy 2014 and plan to welcome Maccabi Delegations from Holland, France, Spain, Italy, Estonia, Gibraltar, Poland and Germany to compete in Open Football, Futsal tournaments for Open, Masters and for the first time Ladies Futsal, as well as enjoy a fantastic Maccabi Shabbat. The Management Teams of all three Team Maccabi GB Squads have been announced and the recruitment process has begun.

Also in June is the biggest sporting fundraiser in the Community’s calendar – the 8th Maccabi GB Community Fun Run. With over 40 charities set to take part, and a brand new venue to host the event, Allianz Park, home of professional Rugby Team Saracens RFC, we will be expecting to welcome over 3,000 runners and spectators on the day. Maccabi GB will also be hosting a delegation from Maccabi USA Basketball, for a 5 day trip to London, playing exhibition matches and enjoying a Maccabi Shabbat, as part of their European Tour.

ISRAEL Maintaining our connection with Israel

January – March 2014 Maccabi GB continues to ensure that we are always finding ways to connect Britain’s Jewish Community with the Holy Land. We will be sending a group of young people with mild-moderate learning difficulties to Israel for the Maccabi GB Challenge Tour 2014 in November. The start of 2014 has seen the recruitment and selection of the 14 participants and eight carers who will tour around the country experiencing the cultural, social and religious side of Israel, whilst taking part in activities that will, literally, challenge them. The group will be taking part in a residential orientation weekend in April at Skeet House in preparation of the Tour.

Staying on the theme of Israel, Maccabi GB is working closely with one of our partners, UJIA, to send a group of 20-26 year-olds on a unique sports tour to Israel in July. Recruitment has begun with interest generated across the UK in what is called the ‘UJIA Birthright in partnership with Maccabi GB’ Tour.

Looking ahead Maccabi GB is also committed to helping our affiliated leagues and clubs establish ways to take their members to Israel. The latter part of 2014 will see the Maccabi GB Southern Football League (MGBSFL) club, Norstar London Raiders, send a team to Israel to take part in a football tour and experience the highlights of Israel.

SCHOOL SPORTS PROGRAMME Introducing a passion for sport from a young age

January – March 2014 Our School Sports Programme has continued the success of last year – where 8,000 young people were engaged from January to December – and already in 2014 Maccabi GB has engaged over 3,000 young people in School PE Curriculum Lessons, After School or Lunchtime Clubs and School Sports Tournaments & taster sessions. We have offered a variety of sports tournaments for participants to compete in – 40 students took part in Secondary Schools Trampolining, whilst 260 took part in Secondary Schools Badminton & Table Tennis, and 55 young people were engaged during the latest Primary Schools Tag Rugby taster session on the main pitch at Allianz Park.

Looking ahead One thing that is guaranteed is that Maccabi GB will always be at the forefront of providing the Community’s young people with sporting opportunities. We are hosting a Half Term Futsal Clinic, where 24 young people have sold out the event to receive first-class coaching from England International and Manager of Maccabi GB Futsal, Jon Kurrant. We will continue to run PE Curriculum Lessons and Sports Clubs in Schools until the end of the Academic Year (in July) and again at the start of the new school year (in September). There are also numerous School Sports Tournaments for all ages, including football, swimming and even track & field. By the end of 2014, over 9,000 school children will have played a Maccabi GB School Sport. Our goal is to develop sport at a young age and nurture it so that athletes can eventually represent Team Maccabi GB at future International Games.

SPORTS CLUBS Ensuring the Community always has a sporting outlet

January – March 2014 With Maccabi GB’s roster of Sports Clubs meeting on a regular basis, we are proud to be the number one provider of Jewish Sport in the UK. In addition to our well-established Sports Clubs – such as Badminton, Cycling, Table Tennis and Netball; all of whom welcome between 20-50 people each month – we have added Maccabi GB Walking Club to meet the demands of members of the Community who wanted to get active at their own pace. This has been a great success, with over 30 people taking part since January. We are also proud to partner with the Israeli Dance Institute to offer a unique way of getting exercise on a regular basis. The I.D.I runs two Maccabi GB-partnered classes each week, with an average of 90 dancers attending each month.

The re-launch of our Futsal Club has also seen a meteoric rise in results. Since the start of the FA National Futsal League South Division 2 in October 2013, Maccabi GB Futsal has regularly welcomed over 20 players each week to training. This has paid dividends as the side has gone undefeated throughout the whole season, winning the title at a canter, and being promoted to the top Futsal League in England. The players have been of all ages and the impressive feat is down to Maccabi GB’s commitment to producing top-quality, Jewish sportspeople. The team is currently competing in the nationwide FA Futsal Cup competition and brought a first ever side to the U19 Futsal Championships. The success of Futsal within the Community has been palpable, which is one of the primary reasons for Maccabi GB to invest in Futsal at a youth level, such as the aforementioned Futsal Clinic. The Maccabi GB Table Tennis Club also has seen great success – who, like Maccabi GB Futsal, recently won their League Championships, for only the second time in history.

Looking ahead We are constantly striving to offer varied sports clubs so that there is always an avenue for members of the Community to stay active. The first ever Maccabi GB Handball Taster session arrives in May, with over 20 people expected at the first session. We also plan to introduce Maccabi GB Clubs in Basketball and Rugby in Spring/Summer 2014 and the Maccabi GB Futsal Club will begin a new season again after the summer break.

‘ABILITY NOT DISABILITY’ Because everybody should have the opportunity to play sport

In addition to the Maccabi GB Challenge Tour, for young people with mild to moderate learning difficulties, we are focused on bringing sporting opportunities to as many members of the disabled Jewish Community as possible.

This summer we will be working alongside one of our Community Partners, Camp Simcha, to host a unique Sports Day for those with learning difficulties. The day is predicted to welcome up to 50 participants and their families. The end of 2014 will also see our annual Enable Day held. One of the cornerstones of our ‘Ability Not Disability’ Programme, it provides a day of sporting activities for members of the Community with a physical or learning disability. We work alongside our affiliates Camp KEF, Kisharon and Step By Step to put on this session.

STREETWISE AND LEADERSHIP Inspiring confidence inside and out

January – March 2014 2013 was an unprecedented success for Streetwise as they reached a record-breaking 20,000 young people. They started this year in the same impressive manner, having engaged 4,500 people by the end of March 2014. As well as sessions on Personal Safety and Sex and Relationships Education (SRE), other key programmes they have been working on have been the Healthy Living Primary School Campaign – where over 1,000 pupils have been reached – and a unique initiative working alongside ‘National Safer Internet Day’. This saw over 1,100 young people and parents engaged across 35 Jewish Schools nationwide. Streetwise staff have trained with the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) and delivered Internet Safety Sessions to Primary and Secondary School students across the country. Additional projects include the annual Alan Senitt Community Leadership Programme, with 60 participants from six different schools; facilitation of the Chigwell Maccabi Community Leadership Programme; and continued work at the Streetwise @ Norwood Programme.

Leadership by Streetwise ended 2013 by hosting a seminar for 80 young, sports leaders and tutors from across the whole of the UK. What makes this even more impressive is that many of them attended the event having represented Team Maccabi GB at the recent 19th Maccabiah Games, highlighting our efforts for Jewish continuity and keeping them involved with the movement via a conveyor belt system of engagement. A further 16 young people attended the Leadership by Streetwise ‘Catch-up Day’ in February 2014, starting off the year with the same enthusiasm. It was pleasing to see many of these participants return for the ‘Hands-On Events’, later in the same month, where 35 leaders took part in three days of training, plus planning and running activities for participants on a sports camp and during sessions for people with a physical or learning disability. Both of these were held with the help of two of our affiliates – Maccabi London Brady and Langdon. Another ‘Hands-On Event’ was held in March, using the same format as the previous events, and engaged an additional 40 leaders.

Looking ahead In addition to the classes, seminars, programmes and campaigns that Streetwise will be running throughout the year, particular mentions must go to Lifeskills Days, with all mainstream Jewish secondary School nationwide; Community Courses and Workshops; and Summer Courses and Youth Movement sessions. Streetwise is working towards the development of a new structure for the delivery of Antisemitism Education in non-Jewish Schools.

The remainder of the Leadership by Streetwise 2013/2014 Year will see another ‘Hand-On Event in April’ and the Graduation Weekend in July, with all 80 participants graduating from their year-long course; November hosts the Planning Shabbaton for Bogrim, with 25 attendees expected; whilst the seminar weekend launching the start of Leadership by Streetwise 2014/2015 year is being held in December with 90 young participants expected.

AFFILIATES & PARTNERSHIPS Helping to build a strong, unified Community

January – March 2014 Building on success of 2013, since the turn of the year, Maccabi GB has increased our efforts to create stronger ties with other communal organisations in order to maximise our exposure and engagement within the Community. Crucially, it allows us to build strong foundations for Jewish people to actively take part in communal life. One of the first partnerships to develop was with Chai Cancer Care. Through fundraising, Maccabi GB was able to provide Chai clients with a table tennis table and equipment for their retreat room whilst they are recovering. There is also a brand new Maccabi GB and Chai Cancer Care Walking Club to begin in the Spring exclusively to provide a means of exercise for the Chai’s clients. Additional sports clubs have developed from our partnership with the Israeli Dance Institute (IDI) - a children’s Israeli Dance class and an adult Jumba – with other potential classes to be offered in the future. The IDI are also providing dancers/entertainment for the Maccabi GB Community Fun Run in June.

As has already been mentioned, we partnered-up with Camp Simcha to run a unique Sports Day as part of their July ‘Camp Simcha Camp’ for participants with learning difficulties. There is also foundation for future work with their respite retreats and for Camp Simcha to work together with Leadership by Streetwise. We will be working in conjunction with World Jewish Relief for their mass- participation fundraising campaign – The Real Ping – which launches in the second quarter of 2014. The partnership will see Maccabi GB help promote table tennis events in people’s homes and host a corporate table tennis event at Bounce Bar in Central London.

Maccabi GB’s Affiliates have also had a great start to the year with the football leagues; Maccabi Masters Football League, Maccabi GB Southern Football League and Maccabi Primary Football engaging nearly 3,000 people each week. Chigwell & Hainault Maccabi, Maccabi London Brady, Manchester Maccabi and Maccabi GB Scotland ensure that the Maccabi Movement is as vibrant as ever across the country.

Looking ahead Other partnerships Maccabi GB has developed, or plan to build upon, since January 1st includes JAMI, Jewish Care, Langdon, Masorti, Mogen David Adom (MDA), Jewish Reform Movement, Tzedek and WIZO with details of the link-ups to be announced in the near future.

SUMMARY Building on what we offer

By the end of March 2014, Maccabi GB has engaged over 12,000 Jewish people nationwide, highlighting our impact within the Community. Our role in providing sporting or educational programmes and events extends beyond the field of play or the classroom. From our School Sports Programme and Streetwise classes, where we are engaging over 2,000 young people per week, through to the Leadership by Streetwise seminars, where young adults are brought together to learn how to make a difference within their communities. From the hundreds of people who attend our regular Sports Clubs and ‘Sport for Everyone’ events, to the 300 competitors combined who will represent Great Britain at the JCC Maccabi Games 2014 and European Maccabi Games 2015. Even to the new and existing communal partnerships we are now establishing on a regular basis. Maccabi GB is constantly ensuring that British Jewry stays involved in sport, has a platform to come together with other members of the Community and - regardless of age, gender or ability - has a means to channel their enjoyment and talent from the first step to the final whistle.